Dear Readers,
Everywhere we go, we see the words: Anti-Aging. If you go to the shops, it is on all kinds of lotions and potions! If you walk down the street, there are so many spas that offer “anti-ageing treatments. Even doctors advertise using the phrase. All the magazines and newspapers have articles titled “Anti-ageing”. It is everywhere. So what does it really mean?

Before I start explaining the term, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dr. Ali. I am an NRI physician from Houston Texas, I am graduate of Albany Medical College, Albany, New York and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston. I am also the Chairman of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, India (A4M India), as well as the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine Dubai (A4M Dubai) I lecture to doctors around the world on Anti-Aging medicine, from Beijing to Las Vegas and all points in between. I have been recruited by the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, a global, non-profit medical society based in Chicago (www.worldhealth.net ) to bring Anti-Ageing Medicine to India.

Now let’s get back to Anti-Aging Medicine. So what is it?  Judging from its usage, it must mean a lot of things to a lot of people, or maybe it has just become a buzzword, that means nothing? Perhaps it is just another phrase like “Youth-preserving” and “Age-defying”, which we often saw on both cheap and expensive anti-wrinkle creams? Anti-aging seems to convey to us an answer for a strong human need; the preservation of Youth and Beauty.

In fact, we have been seeking the Fountain of Youth since time immemorial. This quest has always had a symbol. Historically, it was Cleopatra. Her name still conjures up images of youth and beauty in our minds. However, Anti-aging today has taken on a new meaning: it is the desire to preserve our youth, meaning to retain our beauty and health. Today’s icons of youth and beauty are our favorite Bollywood stars, many of whom tout beauty products.

It would seem that Anti-aging is about maintaining our youth, in the form of our beauty and health. This implies an attempt to take care of our internal and external facts, our health and appearance. Indeed, that is Anti-Aging Medicine. So what about the “Medicine” part? It is indeed a scientific and medical (allopathic) approach to maintain our health and beauty. It is not just about anti-wrinkle creams!

Anti-aging Medicine is a holistic approach, treating the whole patient as a body and mind, both preventing and treating illnesses. Traditional allopathic medicine has been limited to health repair, not care! Anti-ageing medicine is a revolutionary approach to traditional allopathic medicine. It uses our conventional medical and scientific tools and knowledge, while integrating good lifestyle practices. Anti-aging medicine also incorporates aesthetic medicine for the external body. Lifestyle factors including nutrition, exercise and stress management, to create a whole body or holistic, preventive and therapeutic approach to the person.

Sounds great, but how does this affect me? Anti-ageing medicine attempts to understand and treat our common ills, ranging from the superficial aging appearance and weight gain, to the irritating female conditions such as menstrual, fertility and menopausal issues, and also to the life-threatening diseases of aging, such as heart disease and osteoporosis. Each month I will discuss a different topic that is addressed by Anti-Ageing Medicine.
Dear Reader, in this column, I would like to provide for you the latest, scientific advances in the care of problems that affect most of us. There is so much information available in magazines, newspapers and the internet. However, this information is written by non-medical journalists. As a physician, I would like to provide comprehensive and scientific information that you may use to make lifestyle choices as well as to seek the latest and best medical care, from a therapeutic and preventive point of view. I do not see patients and my aim is merely to educate you on health care advances. For example, next month I will discuss weight issues, both why we gain weight and how to lose it! I hope you enjoy my columns.

Wishing you Good Health and Happiness Always.

Dr. Ali